A review by shoshin
A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul

dark reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book reminds me a bit of Jane Austen in that it's so well written that you just keep turning pages to find out what happens next even though nothing much ever really happens. It reminds me of Salman Rushdie (his only book I've read is Midnight's Children) in that it doesn't shy away from bodily functions and seems to delight a bit in puzzling and grossing readers out. It has a strange and strong focus on the mundane. Every house Mr Biswas lived in was described in excruciating detail. Big life events were boiled down to a couple of sentences, even if their impacts reverberated throughout his life. 

I feel like this would be a very good book to read with a class or a book discussion group, because I'm sure I've missed a lot of things that a conversation could deepen.